For Bollywood, this Diwali had nothing to celebrate
09th Nov 2002
20.19 IST
By ApunKaChoice Bureau
Hindi film industry witnessed yet another lackluster Diwali this year with a number of films ‘bombing’ at the box-office.
Bollywood saw the release of four films this Diwali. Of these four, much was expected of Tusshar-Kareena starrer Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, believed to be a remake of Mehboob Khan's 1946 film Anmol Ghadi.
The film, a mushy romantic flick about two childhood friends reuniting in their youth, did not capture the audience interest. After a good opening on the first day, the film began to sink at the marquee gradually and it was not long before it became evident that the much-hyped Tusshar-Kareena jodi has failed to revive the magic of their earlier hit Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai.
Trade analyst Amod Mehra, dubs Jeena Sirf Merre Liye as a ‘bad film’ that had ‘nothing exciting’ about it.
The other releases that went bust during Diwali were the Sunil Shetty-Sanjay Dutt starrer Annarth and Govinda-Raveena starrer Wah Tera Kya Kehna.
While the former was based on the clichéd underworld theme with a cameo performance from the bald-pated Cricketer-turned-actor Vinod Kambli, the latter toed the beaten line of slapstick comedy by Govinda.
There was nothing unpredictable in either of the two movies. Annarth, directed by Ravi Dewan, was riddled with action sequences that seemed to have been deliberately forced into the narrative. Similarly, Wah Tera Kya Kehna was full of nonsensical humor that was seldom situational.
Little hopes were pinned to Dimple Kapadia starrer Leela owing to the film’s offbeat theme about an aged woman’s liaison with her teenage student. But the movie, directed by NRI filmmaker Somnath Sen, failed to set the cash registers ringing.
According to an overview given by the trade analysts, if the things keep going the way they have been, 2002 will go down as the worst year in the Bollywood history with the industry suffering a staggering loss of Rs 200 crore.
Hindi film industry witnessed yet another lackluster Diwali this year with a number of films ‘bombing’ at the box-office.